Stopper



Patented May 7, l 40 UNITED--srATEs PATENT OFFICE y y, 2,199,964.Vv i

l s'r'oPPEa l Albert F. nook, springnela, N. Y. Application January 20, 1938, Serial No. 185,819

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in Stoppers.

Its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for tightly closing drain openings and the like, which device has advantages over such stoppers as have been available heretofore.

It has been common practice to construct the drain openings for wash basins, bath tubs and the like with inclined walls; that is, of frustroconical shape. Such walls Yhave to be carefully finished and are often ground to the desired shape. Plugs of similarv shape are provided for insertion into these openings. These are sometimes of metal, ground to fit the openings. Sometimes they are of resilient material, such as rubber, or are of metal faced with rubber. In any case, any distortion of the abutting surfaces or injuries thereto develops leaks. The same is true whenever any foreign matter becomes lodged between these surfaces. To overcome this difficulty the plugs are forced tightly into the openlings which results in their becoming stuck and with;

their removal diicult. Y

- Another difficulty with former devices is that they become loosened and displaced by contact with material in the basin or tub and allow the liquid to run off. This trouble is of frequent occurrence in laundry tubs.

According to my invention, a packing body member is constructed of compressible resilient material with an outer face of a shape and size to fit the drain opening to which it is to be ap-y plied, and with means within this outer face for forcing it into tight engagement with the surface of the drain opening to which it is fitted and for releasing such pressurewhen it is desired to withdraw the stopper. v

I willv describe a preferred embodiment of my invention in the following specification and will point out its novel features in appended claim.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. l is a top plan view of a stopper which is made according to and embodies this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the stop# per which is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar tol that of Fig. .2 with the stopper inserted in a drain opening `and pressed laterally into tight engagement there-` Fig. 4 is a sectional kside 4elevation showing a modification of construction; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional `side elevation showing another modification.

The device, as shown in the drawing, comprises a packing body member of compressible resilient material, such as rubber, in the form of a disk II) with a depending annular flange II.

kThe outer surface I2 of the disk and the flange is of frustro-conical shape, of the size and shape to t a drain opening 30 (Fig.y 3). The inner surface I3 of the flange is also frustro-conical, but of opposite inclination.

2U is a metallic cup-shaped expander within the flange II, the periphery of which is of substantially the same inclination as that of the surface I3. 2l' is a U-shaped strap projecting upwardly through slots in the top of the expander, through the disk I and through one or more washers lfd and I on top of the disk. This strap embraces a protuberance I6 which extends downwardly from the disk into contact with the eX- pander. 22 is a lever, pivoted at 23 to strap 2| and having cam surfaces 24, 24.

In use the stopper is inserted in the drain opening 3D. The lever 22 is then rotated slightly more than 90 into the position shown at 22A in Fig. 3. Whichever of the cam surfaces 24 comes in contact withwasher I5 will raise the strap and the expander and cause the latter to compress the flange II between the periphery of the expander and the surface of the drain opening. Thus, aliquid-tight closure is effected and the stopper clamped in place so that it cannot be dislodged accidentally. In eiecting the oper-v ation, the protuberance I6 is compressed by the lower end of strap 2I. It is also to be noted that the cam 24 has been moved past center so that the lever 22 is locked.

To remove the stopper, lever 22 is raised. The resilience of the protuberance I6 will cause the latch to forcethe expander down to its through the disk. Ill andl washers I4 and I5. On

it is anut 26 to which a finger piece 21 is pivotally connected. 23 is a` spring interposed between disk I and expander 20.

It is obvious that the expander can be raised by rotating the nut 26 in one direction. Rotation of the nut in the other direction permits the spring 28 to lower the expander to release its pressure on flange Il.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the washers I4 and I5 are riveted to the disk I'Il, as at I'I, I8, and the nut 26A is provided with a ange 29 which underlies the washer I5. This arrangethreaded shaft afxed to the center of said expander and extending through the packing memy ber and washer, an internally threaded nut on said shaft whereby the expander may be moved axially within the flange upon rotation of the 5 -nut in one direction, a spring interposed between the packing member and the expander for moving the expander in the opposite direction upon rotation of the nut inthe opposite direction, and alinger piece pivotally but non-rotatively connected with the nut, whereby the stopper may be moved bodily and rotation imparted to the nut.

ALBERT F. ROGKi 

